Berlin, 18 October 2024 (MIA) — Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi said the ruling majority was ready to immediately insert the Bulgarians into the Constitution, but it required predictability in the EU accession process.

"We have no problem with the Bulgarians becoming part of the Constitution, but we expect guarantees of there being no further conditions afterward," Gashi told Deutsche Welle, adding that the government was firmly committed to progressing on the country's path to the EU.

After Albania formally started EU membership negotiations last week, Gashi said official Skopje wanted to continue the process as soon as possible.

"You know the blockade from Bulgaria is related to historical and identity issues. We have come to the Federal Republic of Germany today because of that very issue. We want this process to be unblocked as soon as possible. We are ready to include the Bulgarians in the Constitution immediately. We have a complete, or more precisely, a large consensus that we have no problem with the Bulgarians being part of the Constitution. But our problem is with the predictability of the process, and [we need] guarantees that immediately after there will be no next issue or next condition related to historical and identity issues," Gashi said.

On the proposed mediation by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, which Bulgaria rejected, and whether Germany could help facilitate talks, Gashi said Skopje and Sofia had the capacity to reach an agreement, but that any help was welcome nonetheless.

"As two neighboring countries, we have the capacity to sit down and come to an agreement, but of course, we would welcome any help," he said, highighting the importance on continuing the EU integration process as soon as possible.

He said the government coalition of VMRO-DPMNE and Worth It was unanimous about the country's EU path and was dedicated to unblocking the process.

"As for the identity component, although it does not affect the Albanians, it is good that not only the Albanians, but all of the country's citizens regardless of their ethnicity, we all stand together in defense of the Macedonian identity and we think this process should continue so Macedonia becomes a member of the EU as soon as possible," Gashi told Deutsche Welle. mr/